The seven Indiana legislators who have weighed in on the formal impeachment inquiry.
(Courtesy of GovTrack)
President Donald Trump repeatedly pushed Ukraine's president to "look into" Democratic rival Joe Biden, according to a rough transcript of a summer phone call that is now at the center of Democrats' impeachment probe into Trump.
Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to work with Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer. At one point in the conversation, Trump said: "I would like for you to do us a favor."
The president's words set the parameters for the debate to come — just the fourth impeachment investigation of an American president in the nation's history.
The initial response highlighted the deep divide between the two parties: Democrats said the call amounted to a "shake down" of a foreign leader, while Trump — backed by the vast majority of Republicans — dismissed it as a "nothing call."
The reactions of Indiana members of Congress to the formal inquiry run the gamut from disgust to support.
Democratic Rep. Pete Visclosky of District 1 voiced his support for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to move forward with the inquiry, tweeting, “Given the seriousness of the President’s actions, I believe that the Speaker’s announcement is warranted.”
I support Speaker Pelosi’s announcement that the U.S. House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. 1/5
District 2 Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski called the inquiry an “impeachment obsession” and a “disservice to the American people” in a Tuesday evening tweet.
I’m going to keep my focus entirely on growing our economy, expanding jobs and opportunity for Hoosiers, and finding commonsense solutions to the challenges working families face.
Congressman Jim Banks represents Indiana’s 3rd District. He tweeted Wednesday that the recently-released call transcript proved the inquiry was based on rumor, calling Pelosi “foolish.”
Growing up, my parents taught me not to give my opinion on matters I know nothing about, else I’d look foolish. @SpeakerPelosi announced an impeachment inquiry based off a rumor yesterday. Now we’ve seen the transcript, the rumor has been proven false. House Dems look foolish.
6th District Republican Rep. Greg Pence, brother of Vice President Greg Pence, called the move a power grab in a Wednesday afternoon Tweet.
.@SpeakerPelosi’s #ImpeachmentAgenda puts a partisan power grab above the American people. @HouseDemocrats were elected on a promise to fix our infrastructure, improve vets care & ⬇️ healthcare costs. It seems their #ImpeachmentAgenda is more important than the American people.
Democrat André Carson, the congressman from Indiana’s 7th District, tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he has been supportive of a possible impeachment inquiry for “some time,” and wrote that trump has abused the power of the Presidency.
Just so we're clear -- I have supported an impeachment inquiry for some time because it has become increasingly obvious to me that this President has flagrantly abused the power of the Oval Office, without regard for the Constitution he swore to uphold and defend.
Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon of District 8 characterized the move as “pandering.” He wrote in a Tuesday evening Tweet that “the American people should be appalled.”
Today, Speaker Pelosi made it clear that she is more focused on politics and Presidential harassment than working for the American people. While the President and Republicans in Congress are working hard to better the lives of the American people, Speaker Pelosi and (1/3)
And 9th District Republican Trey Hollingsworth said in a statement that “House Democrats are consistently putting false claims and endless impeachment drama ahead of real solutions for American families.” He calls the transcript House Democrats’ “revenge on the 62 million Americans who voted for President Trump and who are relying on him and Congress to focus on real, day-to-day issues for American families and businesses.”
This story has been updated to reflect that the above elected officials are members of Congress, not legislators.
